Stores ejection means



June 30, 1970 G. c. ROBINSON ET Al- 3,517,584

STORES EJECTION MEANS Filed Aug. 31, 1962 3 Sheets-5h89?, l

INVENTORS 6604666 @deaf/#501V 15'5 Byron/42o ,c wa s June 30, 1970 G, C, ROBlNSON ET AL 3,517,584

STORES EJECTION MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31, 1962 W w 5 e mm Naa M WSW mf m CU, un w.. fu mw 6m Y B June 30, 1970 G. c. ROBINSON ET AL 3,517,584

STORES EJECTION MEANS Filed Aug. 3l, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS 660:66 c. .eoaM/.ro/v fan/mea A :rv/ms United States Patent() 3,517,584 STORES EJECTION MEANS George C. Robinson and Edward F. Wilks, Dallas, Tex., assignors, by mesue assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Filed Aug. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 221,410 Int. Cl. B64d l 04 U.S. Cl. 891.5 5 Claims This invention relates to stores ejection means for high speed aircraft, rockets, and the likeand has, for one object, means for ejecting high explosive stores and missiles from a carrier aircraft into the slip stream without materially effecting the velocity or attitude of the carrier aircraft during successive ejection of a plurality of the missiles.

A Ifurther object includes means for projecting the explosive missiles upwardly and forwardly from a high speed carrier aircraft or rocket While traveling at very high velocities, so that the slip stream engaging the ejected stores or missiles provides means to assist in elevating the missiles away from the aircraft, following the ejection thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a high speed aircraft having a missile storage section therein comprising a plurality of elongated missile storage and ejection compartments disposed in parallel longitudinal rows at each side of the longitudinal axis f the missile storage section or unit with said compartments having their longitudinal axes extending in forwardly and upwardly parallel directions to each other, relative to the flight axis of the carrier and including pivoted door closure means for the outer end of each of the compartments having its pivotal axis disposed substantially parallel to the ight axis of the carrier, to present an edge profile of the doors to the slip stream when open, and provide minimum drag resistance.

A further object is the provision of longitudinally expansible ejection means disposed in the bottom of each compartment, including means for the expansion thereof for selectively projecting the stores out of the compartments and into the slip stream.

A further object includes guide rail means fixed at the opposite forward and rearward sides of each compartment for holding the store or missile stabilized therein in spaced relation to the sides of the compartment in substantially centered relation over the expansible ejection means, to initially guide the stores axially outward of the compartments, in which the guide rails at the rearward sides of the compartments terminate in materially spaced relation to the exterior of the carrier, for leaving the rearward side and end of the store, relative to the iiight direction of the carrier, unsupported to permit tilting thereof toward the rear end of the carrier upon engagement of the forward portion of the stores or missiles with the slip stream, during ejection thereof from the compartments.

A further object includes the provision of shear pin means carried by the stores or missiles, for temporary restraining engagement with the carrier within the compartments for releasably restraining the stores or missiles in the compartments in engagement with the fore and aft guide rail means and the extensible explosive ejection means prior to ejection from the compartments.

A further object is the provision of a multiple store or missile ejection unit for carrier rockets which is interchangeable with other missile ejection units, in which the unit comprises two rows of parallel missile carrier compartments disposed in vertical planes at opposite sides of the longitudinal central axis of the unit with each compartment inclining forwardly relative to the ight axis of the carrier rocket at an angle of approximately 75, each 3,517,584 Patented June 30, 1970 compartment formed with a short guide rail on the rearward side extending longitudinally thereof terminating in materially spaced relation to the outer end of the compartment and an opposite long guide rail on the forward side extending from the bottom of the compartment to its top, in which the guide rails are spaced from the fore and aft surfaces of the compartments to retain a store contained therein in spaced relation to the fore and aft surfaces of the compartments during storage therein, and during the initial portion of the ejection therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentnfrom the following description and accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

FIG. l is a schematic side elevational view of a rocket type missile carrier incorporating the invention illustrating the ejection of a store or missile therefrom and its relative positions to the carrier during the Irelative movement of the rocket on its flight axis.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic View partly in section, showing the missile seated in its compartment in full lines and several progressive positions, in dotted, and dot and dash lines, as it leaves the compartment and enters the slip stream.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of a missile carrying rocket illustrating the interchangeable missile ejection unit in full lines, and the adjacent portions of the fore and aft units of the carrier rocket in dot and dash lines, parts 'being broken away or shown in section to illustrate the interior portions thereof with one of the compartment closure doors shown in open position prior to the ejection of a store therefrom.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken about on the plane indicated by line 5-5 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken about on line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail View taken about on line 7 7 of FIG. 4 showing the outer closure for one of the compartments open and illustrating the pneumatic power cylinder for opening and closing the doors.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken about on line 8-8 of FIG. 3 showing the expansible ejection means collapsed in full lines and expanded in dotted lines.

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken about on 9-9 of FIG. 3.

Reference being made primarily to FIGS. l, 3 and 4, the reference numeral 1 denotes a high speed store or missile carrier aircraft, for instance a turbojet aircraft or rocket having a fore unit or section 2, an aft or rearward unit or section 3, an intermediate interchangeable section or unit 5 for carrying and ejecting stores such as explosive missiles 6, indicated generally therein, such as very high explosive cylindrical canisters which are to be successively or selectively ejected while the carrier is being propelled forwardly at high velocity.

The interchangeable unit 5 includes a fabricated structure having a forward bulkhead 7 to which the fore section 2 of the rocket carrier is bolted or otherwise secured, and at its opposite end, a rear or aft bulkhead 8 is provided for securing the unit 5 to the power plant and control unit 3 of the carrier or rocket, and includes an air intake nozzle and conduit 9 in its lower portion for conveying air into the power plant of the unit 3, such as a turbojet propulsion motor (not shown). The interchangeable unit 5 being also referred to as a warhead unit, may be interchanged by removal of the securing means from the bulkheads 7 and 8 and a similar section or unit substituted therefor, carrying different types or numbers of explosive devices, for instance, a single large high yield explosive device (not shown).

As shown in the drawings, the warhead unit is provided with a plurality of individual elongated compartments disposed in two parallel rows having their longitudinal axes parallel in two parallel vertical planes, one at each side of the longitudinal axis of the carrier aircraft. The axes of the store compartments 10 being parallel to each other in the fore and aft directions, also incline forwardly and upwardly relative to the flight axis direction of travel of the carrier aircraft at an inclination of about 75 degrees, as shown.

The compartments 10', as shown, are substantially rectangular in cross section, formed by longitudinal portions and the transverse partitions or bulkheads 12, and longerons forming the interior fabricated structure of the unit 5. The fabrication of the unit 5, of course, includes the front and rear bulkheads 7 and 8, and the exterior shells 13 contoured to fairf into the exterior shells of the front and rear units 2 and 3, also including the air intake structure 9 having the intake passage 14 below the stores unit which is faired into the intake passage 15 in rear or aft power plant and Hight control unit 3.

Secured to the front wall or partition 12 of each compartment 10 and projecting inwardly therefrom is a relatively long longitudinal store guide rail or track 16 extending from the bottom to the top, midway between the sides formed by the longitudinal partitions or bulkheads 11.

A short store guide rail or track 17 is fixed to the rear wall of each compartment opposite the longer guide rail 16, these shorter guide rails 17 extending upwardly from substantially the bottoms of the compartments and terminate at points not exceeding the longitudinal centers of the compartments substantially as shown in FIG. 3, the front or longer guide rails 16 being less in thickness than the short rails 17 with the adjacent surfaces preferably curved or shaped to receive one of the cylindrical stores, such as a high explosive missile 18 therebetween in predetermined spaced relation to the fore and aft, and transverse sides of each compartment 10, particularly the rear sides, to provide a suitable clearance between the walls of the cylindrical canisters or stores 6 as they are projected from the compartments, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 as they enter the air or slip stream during the high velocity forward movement of the carrier vehicle or rocket where contact with the air stream initiates a tumbling action on the stores 6.

As mentioned previously, the central axes of the compartments are disposed in two parallel vertical planes at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the ight vehicle and the axes are all parallel to each other fore and aft and incline forwardly and upwardly from the bottoms of the compartment at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rocket carrier, of substantially 75 degrees in order to project the stores in a forward and upward direction as they leave the compartment, where the slip stream initially engages the under or lower surface of the nose of each of the projectile stores, tending to lift the same in a direction upwardly away from the top surface of the carrier vehicle, during the initial portion of the ejection of the stores from the compartments.

The ejection openings 19, as seen more particularly in FIG. 4, in the outer or top portion of the store carrying unit, are somewhat elliptical with their major axes disposed in the fore and aft direction so as to permit the cylindrical stores to tilt rearwardly (as seen in FIG. 2) during the ejection thereof into the slip stream without the same striking or binding on the rear wall portions of the compartments after disengagement from the upper ends of the shorter guide rails 17.

Elliptical closures or doors 20 are provided, one for each compartment, which are hinged at 21 with the axes of the hinges disposed parallel to the flight axis of the carrier vehicle so that when opened they will present an edge prole to the slip stream and thus materially reduce drag in the slip stream. When closed the doors present a smooth streamline contour with the top surface of the store carrier and ejection unit 5.

Any suitable power means may be provided for opening the doors quickly, and holding the same open during ejection of the stores 6, such as piston operated actuators 21 which are selectively actuated, just prior to the selective ejection of the stores.

The cylindrical stores 6 are each preferably ejected by a selectively controlled explosive cartridge ejection mechanism indicated at 22, carried in the bottom of each of the store ejection compartments 10 on bracket 24 (as seen in FIG. 3), projecting under the stores from the fore and aft sides of the store compartments 10, each containing an explosive cartridge and detonator within an axially expansible chamber, for engagement with the central portion of the base or lower end of the stores 6 when the explosive is detonated, expanding the charnber to project the store 6 upwardly and forwardly out of its compartment into the airstream. A pressure supply conduit may be provided connecting the expansible chamber with the door opening mechanism 21 to initiate the door opening immediately prior to store ejection, or a separate timing control may be provided for the doors.

Where explosive high yield stores 6 are carried it is contemplated that the fore and aft bulkheads and the outer shell of the unit 5 be provided with suitable thermal insulation, as indicated at 24.

Reference being made to FIG. 8, the base portion of the store 6 is shown in section with the expansible explosive cartridge ejection mechanism 22 in full lines in its inoperative collapsed position, and in extended position in dotted lines after ring of the ejection cartridge therein to project the store 6 at a predetermined desired number? of gs to provide an acceleration of about gs, out of its compartment.

The Hight of the carrier 1 may be controlled in any suitable conventional or well known manner, since this is not pertinent to the invention. Also, the initiation of the ejection of the stores 6 may be effected in any suitable manner, such as by remote control, or suitable timing and intervalometer means carried by the power unit section 3 (not shown) for controlled selective ejection when over, or approaching a selected target. The stores 6, as contemplated, each include a warhead 6a, a conical nose section 6b containing arming and fusing equipment, timing and exploding mechanism, and a rear stabilization section 6b of a separable drogue type, so that ground contact burst, as well as air burst is possible.

We claim:

1. In a high speed store ejecting aircraft, a fore or nose unit, an aft turbojet power and control unit, and an intermediate interchangeable explosive store carrier and ejection unit faired into said fore and aft units having a forward bulkhead adapted to be removably secured to the rear end of the fore unit, and a rearwardly spaced aft bulkhead adapted to be removably secured to the forward end of said aft turbojet power and control unit, said intermediate unit having an air intake formed at the bottom side thereof for supplying air into the turbojet power and control unit for operation thereof, and formed with a plurality of parallel elongated explosive store receiving and ejecting chambers disposed in two parallel rows extending upwardly in parallel vertical planes at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the carrier aircraft, each compartment inclining upwardly and forwardly toward its ejection end in one of said parallel vertical planes at an angle of substantially 75 to the flight axis of the carrier aircraft, a relatively long guide rail fixed to the fore side of each compartment extending from the bottom to substantially the ejection end thereof and a relatively short guide rail xed to the aft side of each compartment extending upwardly from the bottom thereof to a point less than half the distance between the opposite ends of the compartment, said long and short rails disposed for supporting the opposite sides of an elongated explosive store in each of said compartments in spaced relation to the opposite lateral and fore and aft sides of the compartment, for disengagement of the aft side of the explosive store upon partial ejection thereof from the compartment, to permit the store to tilt or rotate rearwardly about its lower end upon contact with the air stream passing the outer ends of the compartments, explosive store ejection means disposed in the bottom of each compartment for projecting each of said explosive stores axially out of said compartments in the aforesaid forwardly and upwardly inclined direction into the air stream passing the top of said intermediate unit.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including an enlarged elliptical opening formed in the top of said intermediate unit over each of said compartments for the stores projected therefrom to pass through into the slip stream, an elliptical door closure for closing each of said elliptical openings faired into the top surface of the intermediate unit surrounding the openings, and hinge means for each of said doors having their axes disposed at one side of each of said elliptical openings having their axes disposed in parallel planes parallel to the flight axis of the carrier aircraft, for presenting an edge profile to the slip stream when open, to reduce drag on the carrier when open and during ejection of the explosive stores from the cornpartments into the slip stream passing elliptical openings.

3. In a store carrier and ejecting aircraft, a fore unit, an aft propulsion and control unit, and an intermediate store carrier and store ejection unit removably fixed therebetween having its outer surface faired into the outer surfaces of said fore and aft units, said store carrier unit having a row of elongated store carrying compartments inclining forwardly and upwardly from their bottom ends across said store carrier unit in parallel relation to each other in a vertical plane at an angle of substantially 75 to the flight axis of the carrier and ejection aircraft, said compartments each having a pair of store holding and ejection guide rails fixed to the fore and aft surfaces thereof for supporting a cylindrical store therein in spaced relato the fore and aft surfaces of the compartment, a hinged door closure for the upper end of each compartment having a hinge axis disposed at one side thereof in parallel relation to the ight axis of the carrier and ejection aircraft, an expansible ejection device fixed in the bottom of each compartment for projecting a cylindrical store when contained in said compartments axially out of each compartment, said ejection guide rails comprising long guide rails on the fore sides of the compartments extending from the bottoms to the tops thereof and short guide rails on the aft sides of the compartments extending from the bottoms thereof to points less than half the lengths of the compartments to leave the aft sides of the stores unsupported during a major final portion of the ejection of stores from the compartments by said ejection devices.

4. In a high speed store carrying and ejecting aircraft having a central store carrying unit, said store carrying unit having a store carrying and ejecting compartment inclining forwardly and upwardly from their bottom ends in a vertical plane across said unit from the lower to the upper sides thereof at a forward inclination of substantially degrees relative to the ight axis of the aircraft, for receiving therein a cylindrical explosive store in spaced relation to the aft side of the compartment, a long guide rail. on the fore side of said compartment extending from the bottom thereof to substantially the top thereof, a short guide rail on the aft side of said compartment extending from the bottom thereof to a point less than half of the length thereof, for supporting a cylindrical store seated in said compartment in materially spaced relation to the aft side' thereof, said rails supporting a cylindrical store against fore and aft and lateral displacement when seated on said compartment, explosive store ejection means disposed in the bottom of said compartment for supporting engagement with the lower end of the store for projecting the same upwardly and axially out of said compartment into the slip stream passing the upper surface of said store carrying unit, whereby the store is free for aft tilting displacement during final ejection thereof from said campartment when the lower end of the store leaves said aft guide rail.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said explosive store ejection means comprises an axially extensible chamber having one end fixed at the bottom of said compartment and an opposite movable end disposed for projecting contact with the central portion of the lower end of a cylindrical explosive store, when seated in said compartment between said long and short guide rails, and an explosive charge disposed within said extensible chamber for extension thereof to project the store axially out of the compartment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,646,786 7/ 1953 Robertson.

2,992,793 7/ 1961 Devantier 244-137 XR 3,018,692 1/1962 Bilek.

2,937,573 5/ 1960 Gantschnigg r89-1.5 2,982,180 5/1961 Hart.

3,065,672 11/1962 Fitzgerald 89-1.5

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 244-137 

1. IN A HIGH SPEED STORE EJECTING AIRCRAFT, A FORE OR NOSE UNIT, AN AFT TURBOJET POWER AND CONTROL UNIT, AND AN INTERMDIATE INTERCHANGEABLE EXPLOSIVE STORE CARRIER AND EJECTION UNIT FAIRED INTO SAID FORE AND AFT UNITS HAVING A FORWARD BULKHEAD ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE REAR END OF THE FORE UNIT, AND A REARWARDLY SPACED AFT BULKHEAD ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID AFT TURBOJET POWER AND CONTROL UNIT, SAID INTERMEDIATE UNIT HAVING AN AIR INTAKE FORMED AT THE BOTTOM SIDE THEREOF FOR SUPPLYING AIR INTO THE TURBOJET POWER AND CONTROL UNIT FOR OPERATION THEREOF, AND FORMED WITH A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ELONGATED EXPLOSIVE STORE RECEIVING AND EJECTING CHAMBERS DISPOSED IN TWO PARALLEL ROWS EXTENDING UPWARDLY IN PARALLEL VERTICAL PLANES AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CARRIER AIRCRAFT, EACH COMPARTMENT INCLINING UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY TOWARD ITS EJECTION END IN ONE OF SAID PARALLEL VERTICAL PLANES AT AN ANGLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY 75* TO THE FLIGHT AXIS OF THE CARRIER AIRCRAFT, A RELATIVELY LONG GUIDE RAIL FIXED TO THE FORE SIDE OF EACH COMPARTMENT EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE EJECTION END THEREOF AND A RELATIVELY SHORT GUIDE RAIL FIXED TO THE AFT SIDE OF EACH COMPARTMENT EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF TO A POINT LESS THAN HALF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE COMPARTMENT, SAID LONG AND SHORT RAILS DISPOSED FOR SUPPORTING THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF AN ELONGATED EXPLOSIVE STORE IN EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS IFN SPACED RELATION TO THE OPPOSITE LATERAL AND FORE AND AFT SIDES OF THE COMPARTMENT, FOR DISENGAGEMENT OF THE AFT SIDE OF THE EXPLOSIVE STORE UPON PARTIAL EJECTION THEREOF FROM THE COMPARTMENT, TO PERMIT THE STORE TO TILT OR ROTATE REARWARDLY ABOUT ITS LOWER END UPON CONTACT WITH THE AIR STREAM PASSING THE OUTER ENDS OF THE COMPARTMENTS, EXPLOSIVE STORE EJECTION MEANS DISPOSED IN THE BOTTOM OF EACH COMPARTMENT FOR PROJECTING EACH OF SAID EXPLOSIVE STORES AXIALLY OUT OF SAID COMPARTMENTS IN THE AFORESAID FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED DIRECTION INTO THE AIR STREAM PASSING THE TOP OF SAID INTERMEDIATE UNIT. 